


The lost son

by EveandJohnny



Series: The Radiologist [6]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Post-Operation Pitfall (Pacific Rim), Pre-Movie: Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-09 17:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13486212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveandJohnny/pseuds/EveandJohnny
Summary: Set about a year before the events of Uprising, Mako tries to find her adoptive brother Jake Pentecost. The threat of Kaiju is once more at the doorstep of humanity and Mako is assured that Jake could help. But in the course of events, she learns more about him - and herself - that she had ever expected.





	1. Sheep

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Chuckles](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/353733) by GutterBall. 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chuck and Raleigh now reside in beautiful Scotland while Mako and Annabelle still juggle the Shatterdome madness. Though Chuck is unable to see the beauty through all this rain! Then Annabelle phones and discloses a secret about Pentecost that none of the two could ever imagine.

„Oi, stop!“ Chuck shouted up to the sky that had opened its locks once more. He wondered - again - how exactly he had let himself get talked into moving to _Scotland_ of all possible places for a retirement home. He had actually planned spending his post-service years somewhere warm and sunny, with nice crystal clear water that had about bathtub temperature. Instead, he was running around on a grayish-green hillside that was drenched in fog, looking for a lost sheep that could be anywhere. Max was running between gneiss rocks, giving his best impression of a herding dog and failed spectacularly. All sheep were way faster than the bulldog on his little stumpy legs.

 Chuck’s hood slipped from his head and the rain trickled into his neck. He swore once more and pulled the hood back while trudging up the muddy slope. Ah, finally he spotted the lost sheep in a little cave. He carefully drew closer to the sheep that was peacefully grazing. Just when he got ready to launch himself at the sheep it shot him a look as if it knew what he was up to and galloped past him with something that Chuck could only interpret as a mocking baa.

“Well, bugger me!” he yelled and stood with his shoulders slumped. From far away he could hear another faint baa. He gave up. By now it was raining so much that even his rain coat wasn’t really protecting him anymore. With his spirits as low as the lake he was living beside he traipsed back to the little chalked cottage. When it came in sight he spotted Raleigh outside it on the bench and the traitor of a sheep standing beside him, rubbing its head against Raleigh’s knee.

Raleigh’s smile basically dripped down his oilskin, it was that syrupy. “Were you looking for Lola, Chuckles?”

“Lola my arse. And don’t call me Chuckles” he muttered defeated.

“Ah, I’ll make you tea once I’ve brought Lola back to the flock. Why don’t you go inside and get yourself some dry clothes.” Raleigh got up and wanted to pat Chuck on the shoulder but he dodged him so Raleigh just shrugged and led the mischievous sheep up to the stable. Chuck looked after him and wondered once again how exactly he had ended up with him, of all people. Though he couldn’t prevent the stupid smile to form on his lips as he watched how Raleigh, this bulky Jaeger veteran, gently handled the dozen sheep that they were keeping. Then Chuck followed the advice and walked into the cottage, leaving his soaking rain coat in the mud room to drip into a bucket that was standing there just for this purpose. He left his mud-covered boots beside it. In thick woolen socks - knitted by himself out of the wool of their sheep - he walked into their bedroom to change. When he was about to take a sweater from the wardrobe he spotted Raleigh’s old blue PPDC sweater on the armrest of their reading chair. Deciding that he deserved a treat after this torture outside in the rain, he let go of his and instead grabbed Raleigh’s, the stretched and worn out fabric slipping easily onto him. Yes, that felt much better.

He walked back into the living room with the kitchen unit where by now Raleigh was making a pot of tea, as promised. When he spotted his old sweater on Chuck he raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Chuck chose to ignore and instead flopped into the armchair beside the fireplace.

Suddenly, the computer started beeping. Chuck looked up to Raleigh who brought him a cup of tea. “Did you agree with Mako for another call?”

Raleigh shook his head. “Not as far as I can remember.” He went over to the sideboard where they stored their multimedia and took the laptop. He then put it on the little table that stood between the armchair and the couch. When he opened it, however, it wasn’t Mako on the other side of the line.

“Hey Anna! Is everything alright? Has anything happened to Mako?” Raleigh sounded worried because only Mako chose to call them via video chat, Annabelle was usually content with calling them on the phone or stopping by for a short bit when Mako chatted with them.

“No, so far she seems alright. But she’s now set a task in her mind that seems, with all due respect, somewhat futile.”

“And that would be?” Chuck asked impatient, leaning forward. After the day out in the rain he was not in the mood for riddles.

Still, Annabelle left a dramatic pause. Then she said “She wants to find her brother. Pentecost’s son.”

The two men were stunned silent. After a while, Chuck found his voice again to speak “Her brother? Who is Pentecost’s son? Because, ya know, that would mean that Pentecost would have…” he trailed off, leaving the details to the imagination of the others. Raleigh twisted his face into an unbelieving and slightly disgusted grimace.

Annabelle nodded. “Nobody in the entire Shatterdome knows anything about Pentecost’s offspring. But Mako firmly claims that she spent the first years with Pentecost in the company of his son Jake before Stacker took her to the Shatterdome and left the other kid with his mom.”

“And she doesn’t know anything about their whereabouts afterwards?” Raleigh asked, feeling a sharp sting in his side as he remembered how his dad left the three Becket siblings after the death of his mom. He had always thought that Pentecost was a noble man, giving Mako a family after her own was destroyed, even in such conditions like the war. He would have never anticipated him to be such a weak man. His stomach tightened into a knot and he shot the portrait of Stacker on the sideboard a reprimanding look.

“No. The last thing she heard from Jake was the obituary of the death of his mom, Chelsea, cut out from a newspaper. She has already set anything in motion that her position allows her, which is more than the ordinary mortal is able to do. But so far she has nothing achieved with it. I suppose that Jake has changed his name and lives a lifestyle as diametric to the one of his father as possible.”

“Do you know why he abandoned them but took Mako?” Chuck’s voice sounded strained. It was hard for him to bring the picture of the overcorrect Marshal together with the one of a family traitor.

“You know yourself that Mako doesn’t like speaking about her past. But from what I gathered is that Jake was the black sheep of the family, the one to bring nothing but trouble. In the presence of Mako, he perhaps felt even more like a loser so he got himself into more trouble. I suspect that Pentecost had then entirely lost hope in him and instead saw the capable heir to Kaiju business in Mako. Which is why he took her to the Shatterdome and left Jake with his mom whom he likely had the better relationship with. But these are really only speculations from my side, more or less.” Annabelle suddenly fell silent and instead inhaled deeply.

Raleigh and Chuck were silent as well, not really knowing how to respond and anyway first having to process all those new information.

Finally, Chuck asked “And why do you tell us all this?”

Annabelle looked around cautiously, then leaned into the camera and whispered “Because we are looking for pilots again.”

“What? Why? I thought we sealed the breach!” Chuck had to grab hold of the armrest of his chair, otherwise he would have toppled forwards out of it.

“I know and everyone hoped it would stay that way but – “

“But these aliens opened it again? How could they do that? We destroyed the Anteverse! Does that mean I sacrificed Gipsy for nothing?” Raleigh had jumped out of the couch and was restlessly pacing to and fro.

“I’m afraid so. But there are several theories circulating. Hermann has proposed to me the idea that someone, well, _let them in_.”

“Who is this fucker? Who would be so stupid to bring the Kaijus back to earth?” Now Chuck had given up on being composed, he was standing in front of the laptop with his fists clenched.

“Nobody knows and currently it’s really just a hypothesis. But Jaegers, and Kaijus for that matter, have become a big business. I don’t know how much you catch over there – probably not so much considering that you were sent to Scotland for that exact reason – but there are a couple of private Jaeger companies. They all say they built them for defense reasons but I don’t believe them a single word. I think that once the time has come they want to sell them to the countries as war machines and when, let’s say, North Korea or the U.S. or Russia get their hands on a Jaeger for the military, then good night! A third World War with Jaegers will be the end of humanity, mark my words.” Annabelle’s face was red with agitation and to support her words she banged her fist on the table.

Raleigh and Chuck stopped in the same instant and looked incredulously at her. “Now you’re making a fool of yourself. You sound ridiculous, like one of the conspiracy wankers.”

“Maybe. But it would make sense. One of those countries could secretly let the Kaijus back in and then try to lay it at another country’s door so they can declare war on them for risking the safety of humankind. Or the let them in because they think they can control the Kaijus and use them to their own advantage. I don’t know what kind of mad ideas these idiots can come up with. But by now I take everything in account.”

Chuck shot her another disbelieving look.

“Okay, we won’t come to a mutual stand here, so let’s focus on Mako’s personal problem. Why did you tell us that she’s looking for her brother?” Raleigh said calm now.

“Well, I would just ask you to keep your eyes open. It’s unlikely that Mako will come to you to ask for help, she strictly complies to her own order to not disturb you with Shatterdome matters. But I think you wouldn’t want to miss out on that chance to help her, now would you?” Annabelle smiled.

“You bet yer ass we wouldn’t. Do you know at least a little more beside that his name is Jake and that he doesn’t use his old surname anymore?” Chuck sat down again, giving the impression of a serious businessman.

Annabelle rummaged beside the laptop. They couldn’t see it but they heard paper rustle. “For a start, he looks exactly like his father. Mako said he’s the spit image of Pentecost. Maybe he even sports the infamous moustache. Then: he did always the opposite of Stacker so he should reside somewhere warm and sunny, with a big party scene. Jake is five years Mako’s junior which means that he was born during Stacker’s time in London at the RAF. So Stacker was already travelling the world when Jake was born. He still may be in London but I reckon it’s too cold for him there. My gut feeling tells me that he would be more comfortable in California.”

“Your gut feeling? Since when should radiologists rely on their gut feeling?” Chuck joked.

“Admittedly, it’s a shot in the dark. But this is all uncharted territory and I don’t want to beset Mako more. She’s got her hands full as it is with the new Jaeger program. Just promise me you don’t tell her that I told you! You know how she is when someone meddles with her business.”

Raleigh waved. “You can count on us. And we try to make some inquiries.”

“Yeah, but don’t make it too obvious. You are pensioners now, so take it slow.”

“Oh, you bloody-“ Chuck cursed but was cut off by a knocking sound on Annabelle’s side.

“Bye mom!” she said louder than necessary before she shut the laptop.

“What was that about?” Chuck looked to Raleigh.

“I guess Mako’s come in.” Then he exhaled deeply. “What do you think about this? Mako having a brother.”

“Who is the son of Stacker fucking Pentecost. I can’t bloody believe it. How old was he when that kid was born?”

Raleigh scratched his head. “Anna says he’s five years younger than Mako, that means he’s born in 2008, so Pentecost was 23. He probably wasn’t THE Stacker Pentecost at that time. “

“Hmm, yeah. Still weird.”


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody expected anything less: Raleigh and especially Chuck couldn't spend the rest of their lives as pensioners.

„So Mako, are you ready?“ Annabelle asked when the two women stood on the helipad.

Mako nodded solemnly. “I am, Anna, you don’t need to worry. Though I’m not sure what is going to await me.” Before she could add more, she was interrupted by a shout.

“Miss Mori! Wait for me!” A tall man with brown hair in a Ranger uniform came jogging towards the helicopter, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

“Mr Lambert, you want to come with me, I assume?”

Nate Lambert, one of the Rangers training the new cadets, nodded. “Yes, I’d like to see Jake again. Not doubting your capability to convince him, certainly not, but maybe I can help you bring him back.”

Annabelle shot him an unimpressed look. If he really believed in Mako’s abilities he wouldn’t want to join. To her, he had always given off the impression of being the average white dude who couldn’t stand the notion of having a Japanese woman as his superior. But she didn’t say anything, just ignored him and instead looked to Mako. She noticed the look but just shook her head a tiny fraction.

“Very well, Mr Lambert, if you could arrange a substitute for you then you can accompany me on my mission.”

“I could, they should be here any minute.”

Mako and Annabelle exchanged another look, Annabelle formed a silent “No fucking way” with her mouth and Mako inhaled deeply. Then they all turned when the steady putter of rotor blades grew louder. A helicopter peeled off the sky and as it drew nearer they could see the Scottish flag painted on the hull.

“Mr Lambert, were you not aware that Mr Becket and Mr Hansen are not to be disturbed with Shatterdome matters? There are certainly other capable instructors in better health” Annabelle remarked, not bothering to hide her refusal for this arrangement. Though she still didn’t deign to look at him.

“Oh, but they were totally eager to get back here.”

Annabelle rolled her eyes and she sought help from Mako.

“Dr Willems has a point here because there are strict orders regarding the retired Rangers and you are also constrained to reconcile this with me. But sending Mr Becket and Mr Hansen back to their home doesn’t make sense, either. So, for future affairs, please keep this in mind.”

Nate saluted. The Scottish helicopter had landed now and opened its doors. Raleigh was the first to peer into the rare sunshine over Hong Kong. When he spotted the group on the helipad he waved excitedly and jumped down the few rungs of the stairs.

“Mako!” he called and took her into an embrace that lifted the small woman easily off her feet.

Mako, who was usually very composed in both her looks - instead of her Ranger uniform she now wore a pernickety ironed two-piece costume - and her manners, squealed in delight. By now, Chuck had caught up with them. He was beaming from ear to ear. As Mako was still nearly strangled by Raleigh he turned to Annabelle whose bad mood was instantly blown away. Nate was merely a peripheral issue for her now.

“God, Chuck, it’s so good to see you!” She fell in his arms and he spun her around, his booming laughter ringing in her ears. As he twirled her around she saw the self-satisfied grin on Nate’s face but she decided he wasn’t worth her time.

After everyone had been greeted properly, someone coughed from above. They all turned to look at a stern looking helicopter pilot. “Miss Mori, Mr Lambert, I’m really sorry to interrupt your reunion but we have to depart now when we want to avoid the storm that’s coming up soon.” Mako nodded and said her goodbyes while the black pilot saluted towards the group. “Dr Willems, Mr Becket, Mr Hansen.” Raleigh and Chuck saluted in turn and Annabelle bowed slightly. Then they all waved goodbye as the helicopter took off.

“So, you evaded and disregarded on the QT every order ever issued to protect you fools from yourself?” Annabelle asked with a raised eyebrow. Raleigh and Chuck first looked at each other, then eagerly nodded. They reminded her a lot of two little enthusiastic Golden Retriever puppies. She sighed. “ _Why_ am I not surprised? Anyway, now that you’re here you can make yourself of use. The kids need your assistance.”

“When you’re speaking of kids, they’re still of age, right?” Chuck asked. He himself had enlisted at the age of sixteen and in hindsight thought that this was not the wisest decision to make. Though even before he had spent his life growing up in a Jaeger cockpit and this had basically robbed him from a considerable amount of childhood. So he hoped that people had become more sensible now.

That hope, however, was crushed when Annabelle shook her head. “No, unfortunately not. We have three that are eighteen, yes, two have their eighteenth birthday coming up in the next six months but one is sixteen years old. And rumour has it that Jake Pentecost has met a girl who is only fifteen but who is said to have built her own Jaeger from scraps.”

Chuck’s eyes went wide in horror. “Are you kidding me? Fifteen? That girl is a child, she doesn’t belong anywhere near a Jaeger!”

Annabelle sighed again. “You’re absolutely right. Though contrary to us they don’t know anything else. There’s no pre-Kaiju-time for them. We had to turn down a lot of applicants because they were sixteen or younger. Most of them understand but there were a couple who couldn’t wrap their head around of not being able to fight for humanity. Noble as their intentions are, nobler at least than just fighting for ‘your’ country, we have a responsibility.”

By now they had entered the new Jaeger bay and Chuck and Raleigh were temporarily at a loss for words as they became aware of the new Jaegers. Annabelle stopped and pointed upwards. “This is Saber Athena, the first Jaeger Mako had designed from scratch after funding had been relocated. She has samurai swords that form a broadsword if necessary. The one over there is my personal favourite, Titan Redeemer, because he has a retractable mace. Guardian Bravo is a little less medieval inspired, the weapon of choice here is a plasma whip. And here we have the Jaeger Mako has worked on the longest and the hardest and has put in all her engineering qualities: Lady G Avenger with a gravity sling to pull down buildings.”

Raleigh’s mouth gaped open. Yes, he could definitely see the similarity between his old Jaeger and the one towering above him. “She really has brought Gipsy back?”

“I tend to avoid the G word but yes, that is Mako’s labour of love. She has outclassed herself once more.”

“She certainly has” Raleigh whispered and involuntarily bowed to the new Jaeger. Chuck admired the new Jaeger, too, but he still felt a pang of loss when he didn’t saw Striker Eureka being resurrected and standing among all the gleaming war machines.

As if Annabelle had sensed his thoughts she looked to him and took his arm. Then she waved a J-Tech over. “Mr Foley, please show Mr Becket, pardon me, Senior Instructor Becket to his quarters. I will come along with S.I. Hansen a little later.” The addressed J-Tech, a sturdy Afro-American with a white beard, saluted and then indicated Raleigh to follow him.

“And what are you up to with me?” Chuck asked and properly linked arms with her.

“Wait and see” she said with a grin as she led him to the elevator. When she pressed the button that would take them up to the Marshal’s floor Chuck inhaled sharply. She took him to his dad. Since Raleigh and he had left the Shatterdome the relationship to his dad had improved immensely. But when Herc had learned that Raleigh and Chuck had become more than just old friends sharing a home he had taken it with mixed feelings and the contact had cooled down again. He hadn’t been too happy that his son was gay although he didn’t hate him for that. So Chuck had been rather glad that he spent his days with Raleigh, even though they spent them in rainy Scotland.

That’s why he said cautiously “I’m not sure that this is a good idea”

Annabelle understood immediately. “Herc is not in today, he has a meeting with the president.”

“Oh.” He pondered that information for a moment before he asked “Then why are you taking me up here?”

By now, the elevator had reached the desired floor and opened its doors. “Because not only you are heavily nostalgic.”

They walked up a couple of metres until they stood in front of the door to the Marshal’s chambers.

“I still don’t get it”, Chuck mumbled.

“Step back” Annabelle ordered and pushed him gently to the opposite wall. Then her arm described a sweeping curve.

Now he saw it. The metal plates beside the entrance door were modelled after Striker Eureka’s breast plates, over the door a miniature of Strikers head was mounted to the wall and on the door their kill count was painted, additionally to their logo, Max biting the bullet.

“He did it all on his own, you know, whenever his Marshal duties allowed it.” Annabelle said, not looking at Chuck, and then she opened the door with a key from her key chain.

“Why do you have a key to my Dad’s quarters?” he asked instead of the remark that was at the tip of his tongue. He wanted to follow but bumped into her back.

“Marshal Hansen!” she exclaimed surprised, slipping into the formal behaviour. “I thought you were at a meeting with President Cheung.”

“Does that give you permission to enter my quarters without my knowledge?” Herc looked stern and irritated, so unlike the friendly and amicable way he usually behaved, despite all formality.

“I’m sorry, sir, it won’t happen again. There’s somebody here who wants to see you” Annabelle said, stepped behind Chuck and shoved him through the open door, then shut it behind him and hurried away.

“Dad? “ Chuck simply asked and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Herc’s irritation instantly slipped from his face. Now his expression was unreadable. “Chuck, what are you doing here?”

“You don’t know? Ranger Nate Lambert has invited us to take his place as he escorts Mako to find Jake.”

Herc slapped the heavy volume he had been holding down on his desk. “No, I don’t know this! How does he dare to undermine my authority like this? I signed off on Mako’s leave but not on Lambert’s. And you two are retired!”

That had been the wrong thing to say. “Oh, and you think you shouldn’t, old man? Why am I, at the age of thirty-two, banned to a pension somewhere in the Scottish Highlands when you are twenty-three years older than me?” Chuck fumed.

Herc breathed deeply. If he responded to Chuck’s hotheadedness equally impetuous this wouldn’t lead anywhere. “May I remind you that you were at the core of a nuclear explosion and that Raleigh survived piloting a Jaeger alone _twice._ And if that interests you, this is my last month as a Marshal. I will be passing matters on to Mako then.”

That stunned Chuck silent. “But you are okay, aren’t you? You’re not ill or something.” His anger deflated like a pricked balloon.

Herc shook his head. “No, at least nothing acute. But serving in the PPDC for twenty years takes its toll. It’s time to give these creaky joints a rest.”

Chuck wished that Max would be here, then he could have sent him over to his dad. But because the dog was inspecting their own quarters with Raleigh, he was not available at the moment. So he had to pluck up the courage himself. Chuck stepped forward. “Dad.” He waited until Herc gave him his full attention. “I’m happy to see you again.” He didn’t dare to look at his father. So he was caught by surprise when his father embraced him tightly.

“It’s good to see you, too, son” Herc rasped into Chuck’s ear and his voice broke at the last syllable. It took all of Chuck’s sangfroid to not break into tears. “Please forgive me that I didn’t approve of you and Raleigh in the first place.”

“It’s okay” Chuck replied with a thick throat. “As long as you do now.”

Herc nodded but didn’t say anything. They stood like that for another couple more seconds, then they let each other go. “Excuse me, I have to find Annabelle. I was rather rude earlier.”

Chuck nodded. “You do that and I try to get hold of Raleigh and Max. We’ll see each other in mess, yeah?”

“We will” Herc said before he left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, whatever's coming now in this story (not sure myself here, if I'm honest) can and probably also will collide with the events of the movie, especially after the second trailer and what has been revealed in the latest interviews. But because we don't know what's going to happen I'm not giving you any spoilers haha.


	3. Santa Monica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako and Jake finally meet again after years of separation.

„So, how did you manage to detect Jake in the end?” Nate asked as their helicopter approached Santa Monica. The devastation of Insurrector's attack was still visible, even after all those years. Though Hydra Corinthian's and Striker Eureka's Intervention had thwarted the major destruction of the city, the effects, especially of the Kaiju Blue, were enormous nonetheless.

Mako looked out of the window and said tersely “With the help of the Kaidanovskys.”

Nate looked at her expectantly but when she didn’t say more he shrugged. Though he couldn’t contain his curiosity for very long. “And what exactly did they tell you?” Mako was about to sigh when he added “You see, you’re not the only one looking for him. So I’d just like to know how you managed it.”

Now Mako finally looked at him. “The Kaidanovskys have moved to Santa Monica, running a club where they play Ukranian Dub Step. Jake is a regular guest.” She eyed him thoroughly, then asked “How do you know him?”

“We were in the Academy together.”

Mako’s composed expression slipped for a moment. “Jake was not in the Academy.”

Nate nodded. “Yes, he was. It was a last attempt to try and make his father proud. But he had no eyes for him. He was too invested in Operation Pitfall. As were you.” He added matter-of-factly.

Stunned and confused, Mako turned to look out of the window again. She couldn’t remember much about what was going on outside the Shatterdome back then, with preparing the Jaegers for the final assault and coming to terms with Raleigh and her being a Ranger and _all that other stuff that decided to happen just then_. But as she had never expected Jake to take any interest in the Jaeger program anyway she didn’t care to look for him among the many trainees and applicants. Crestfallen with herself, she clenched her fist beside herself on the bench and inhaled deeply. She waited for Nate to make an accusatory comment but nothing came. Instead, the copter pilot announced that they were about to land. Below them the parking lot of an abandoned shopping mall came into view. When they set down the two Russian ex-pilots awaited them. Mako still felt uneasy about the revelation Nate had made but she put on a brave face when Sasha approached her.

“Mako! It’s so nice to see you again!” the blonde woman welcomed her with a heavy accent.

“Ah, you think that by now we’d have better English but it’s no use. You wouldn’t believe how many Russians now live in Santa Monica.” Aleksis said and slapped Mako on the shoulder in a way that was supposed to be lightly but still sent her staggering a couple of steps forward.

“Aleksis!” Sasha shot her husband an accusing look.

He apologetically held up his hands that were the size of dustbin lids.

Mako smiled and waved dismissively, then turned to Nate. “I’ve brought someone with me. Sasha, Aleksis, this is Nate Lambert, one of the Rangers training the new cadets.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow. “You are...a little skinny.”

Nate looked down at himself.

“Sasha, don’t be too hard on that kid. He’s still in training.”

“Actually - I’m thirty-one. “

The Russians exchanged a little disbelieving look. “Well, if you say so. Anyway, let’s get going. Pentecost junior will be surprised.”

They walked to a big olive painted off-road vehicle that looked suspiciously like a tank. “You’re missing Cherno, don’t you?” Mako remarked with half a smile as she entered the car.

“Wait until you actually see the club, Mako.” Sasha giggled a little and she started the car.

They were already out on the road, driving up the coast, when Nate finally said. “So, what you’re saying is that Jake doesn’t know that we’re coming?”

All three of them turned to him, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, because otherwise he’d probably make a run for it. Again. It’s a miracle he hasn’t recognised Sasha and Aleksis now considering that he was in the Academy.”

Sasha braked abruptly. “Was he?”

“ _Milaschka_ , be careful!” Aleksis exclaimed but thankfully nobody was on the street behind them. The neighbourhood in general was strangely deserted.

“Yes, he and I were teammates, jockeying together in the simulator.” Nate tried to keep his voice neutral but there was a bitter undertone to it.

“So why isn’t he with you anymore?” Sasha asked when she was back on driving.

Nate shrugged. “He said something that his Dad wouldn’t care anyway, so of what use would it be?”

Aleksis and Sasha exchanged a questioning look but didn’t say anything. Then Aleksis asked “Did you know this, Mako?”

Mako wanted to answer but she had a dry throat. She had to cough and Aleksis handed her a bottle of water. “No” she finally said “I didn’t know.”

Long silence endured and everyone noticed how the mood thickened and threatened to tilt any moment soon. Mercifully, they then reached a mansion that used to be grand but now the paint was exfoliating and the once neat lawn badly needed trimming.

“So, that’s where he lives” Aleksis announced quietly as they all got out of the car.

Mako and Nate judged the house critically. Then Nate asked “How did you find out?”

“Well, ehm, Jake has a bit of a habit of, uh, enjoying himself for longer than the ordinary mortal so when our club closes he regularly utilises our house’s transportation service.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “What Aleksis means to say is that Jake regurlarly ends up drunk in the club and we have to take him home. Which is here.”

They walked up to the gate which stood half ajar.

Nate reached for the door bell but hesitated and asked “Should we ring anyway?”

“Common sense suggests it but he would probably escape” Mako said after thinking it thoroughly through.

“Secretary Mori, you suggest to march onto foreign property without permission?” Nate asked, and Mako could hear the mocking tone in his voice.

Before she could reply, however, the intercom crackled. “Just come on in, for Christ’s sake! Or do you want strike roots down there?”

Everyone jumped when they suddenly heard Jake’s voice. They looked up to the house but didn’t see him behind the outstretched glass front. They exchanged quick glances. In the end, Mako plucked up her courage and marched to the front. She knew that this was going to be terribly uncomfortable for her and she probably would have to face some of her own guilt but she had never been one to back away from a challenge.

When they reached the door it stood open. Mako hesitated for a moment, then Jake called from inside “It’s open for a reason.”

Mako took a deep breath and pushed the door finally open. Confused, she looked around until she saw a black arm pointing up from behind the back of a couch. She walked over, bravely, until Jake’s face came into view. She stopped.

“Hello sister” he said, swaying a water glass in greeting.

Mako’s heart stung. When they had been kids, Jake had made it his goal to find a suitable nickname for her even though “Mako” didn’t actually needed shortening. But he succeeded and started calling her Maki instead. That he didn’t call her this now was only another prove that the bond between them was severely stretched, if not already entirely torn.

“Hello Jake, how do you do?” she said, though she sounded a little flat.

“Oh, could never be better! I’m spending my days sorting through the scrappy remains of Santa Monica and at night I drink until I can’t spell my own name anymore. Only because my dad thought I couldn’t single-pilot my own Jaeger” he said harshly and gesticulated wildly, causing the water to spill onto his shirt.

“Jake, watch your tone!” Nate stepped beside Mako. Something flickered in Jake’s eye when he saw Nate again but it was gone in a flash. Mako didn’t notice that, instead she had to chew on the information that Jake not only had been in the Academy, he had also been ambitious - or stupid - enough to get into a Jaeger cockpit alone. Mako felt as if she had been on another planet during the organisation of the resistance.

“ _You_ want to tell me anything? You coward!” Jake finally got up from the couch and swaggered over into the kitchen. Nate wanted to follow him with strides but Mako held him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohoh, now it's getting really slippery. Someone please lend a hand and help me down from the ice...


	4. In the kitchen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako learns still more about Jake but they also discover their old chemistry.

“Oh, nobody’s following me?” Jake called and sounded rather cocky.

“Enough is enough” Nate muttered through gritted teeth. But Mako didn’t let go of his wrist. She shook her head and then indicated the couch. Sasha and Aleksis followed her order but Nate still strained against Mako’s hold. She mercilessly held his gaze until his tense shoulders slumped. He shuffled over to the couch as well.

Mako assured herself that everyone wouldn’t interfere then she went ahead.

Jake looked at Mako when she entered the kitchen and closed the door behind her, albeit it was just a glass door. “So, what do you want from me?” he asked harsh and filled his glass with new water.

Mako didn’t answer. She just sat down at the kitchen isle, looking unwaveringly at him.

He raised an eyebrow and remarked “You must be a bigwig in the PPDC, judging from your neat costume. Man, now I see what I could have been and I regret that I haven’t stayed” though his tone made it clear that he meant the opposite.

Mako shrugged.

“Ah, now I know what you’re doing. You’re giving me the silent treatment. You’ve always been good at that. Fine.” He turned his back on her.

While Jake was busy with the fridge Mako kept her eyes glued on him. Her pervasive gaze usually sufficed to make even the most stubborn diplomat eventually comply to Mako’s orders.

In the end, it also got to Jake. “Okay, _why_ are you here?” He sounded frustrated.

“If life ever offered you a second chance, would you take it?” she asked, and there was a passionate glint in her eye.

Jake furrowed his brow. “Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“Well, _I_ don’t know what _you_ think?” The tiniest smile tugged at the corner of Mako’s mouth.

Jake gave her an unimpressed look. “You’re offering me a place in the Academy?”

Mako shook her head. “You don’t need the Academy. I offer you a place as a set pilot. In Gipsy Avenger.”

“Why should I want to pilot a Jaeger that is a mere decal of an old Mark III, even though she was a war hero?” But there was a flicker of sparked interest in Jake’s eyes now.

“Because it’s not a decal. It’s an homage, I modeled the looks after her because it’s a proved, tried and tested design, especially since it doesn’t rely on a digital connection. But everything else is brand new and highly advanced. The new Mark VI Jaegers are much sleeker, nimbler and faster than the Mark V let alone the Mark III. They’re even a bit human like.”

Jake was already hooked; he was secretly burning to get into a Jaeger again. But he wouldn’t give his sister the satisfaction of convincing him so easily. “When you come to get me you don’t seem to have many other options then? But why should I consider myself content to be a last resort?”

Mako sighed. “You’re not a last resort. You are determined, strong-willed and have a habit of thinking very unconventionally. We need that now. It’s probably not news to you that the Kaiju are scratching at our doorstep again.”

Jake shook his head. “No, I noticed the signs, too.” He paused and planted his elbows on the counter, leaning into Mako. “Now, let’s pretend I wanted join: I would want to negotiate conditions.”

Mako motioned approval with her hand. “Go ahead.”

He quickly glanced to the closed kitchen door. “One: I think the best to pilot with me is Nate. I have to face it even though I’m not sure _he_ wants to pilot with me again. Two: You have to let Amara into the Academy even though she is just fifteen. Yes, I know it’s against the rules, the earliest to get accepted were sixteen with official permission from their parents. Which she doesn’t have. I mean, parents. But she’s one of those that truly belong in a Jaeger. The Kaidonovskys have probably given you already a couple of information about her.”

Mako waited a bit but when Jake didn’t continue she raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it’? That’s a huge deal and I’m actually not in the position to bargain.”

Mako huffed. “Actually not. But, admittedly, the stand of the PPDC is not the best, either. There are a lot of companies now, Kaijus have become a business and no one knows when they are coming again. We need every hand to prevent the catastrophe. Senpai and the rest of us wanted to cancel the apocalypse, but now, only ten years later, it seems to have come back.”

When she mentioned Stacker Pentecost, Jake’s eyebrow twitched. He hesitated a moment. Then he took Mako’s hand. “Come with me” he said and then pushed a shelf to the side. Behind it was a nondescriptive door. Jake led Mako down a narrow and steep staircase. “This house was built after the first Kaiju attack and the previous owner seemed to consider this because this is really a Kaiju shelter. But when Insurrector attacked Santa Monica they probably abandoned it anyway” he explained as they carefully climbed downstairs.

When Jake lit the only bare light bulb in the room, Mako inhaled sharply.

„I thought you came here to forget?“

„I could never forget“ he answered a little bitterly and tapped on one of the countless newspaper clippings that covered the walls. The opposite wall was dominated by a tall poster of Stacker Pentecost in his neat marine blue uniform and below was printed the lettering „He stands for us – so stand for him!“

The siblings looked at the poster of their father and senpai, Mako in secret awe and nostalgia, Jake with regret, anger but also supressed admiration.

„You’re so much like him“ Mako suddenly said.

Jake scowled. „Surely not.“

Mako nodded with emphasis. „Yes, you are. I haven’t been there but I’ve been told the stories. When he was ten, Senpai's dad was killed in the fight with a club owner. Senpai attacked him and set the club on fire.“

„He – what?“ Jake turned to her, mouth agape, looking absolutely dumbfounded. Mako hadn’t seen him like this in ages and she had to snort, an uncommon feature of hers. When Jake finally found his voice again. „And I always wondered how I turned out like this.“

„It apparently runs in the family. So, do you still need time to think about whether to come back?“

He let her dangle a couple more moments, then he said „No, I’ll take the offer, which is anyway quite generous of you.“

Mako let out a relieved sigh.

„Though I’m still wondering one thing: You didn’t know I’d been in the Academy but you still wanted to me as a pilot?“

Mako looked caught. „I thought you would be a natural talent?“

„Mako, don’t try to fool me. You’ve never been the guessing one.“

„True, and I’m not guessing this time, either. But it’s a secret plan I cannot tell you about.“

Jake eyed her with suspicion and wanted to object but Mako firmly shook her head. „Now that you accepted you have to comply to orders. And it’s your order to not ask questions. I don’t need a second Raleigh Becket.“

„I thought you and him best friends?“

Mako rolled her eyes. „We are, of course. But he dared to dissent with Senpai on more than one occassion. I will tell you when I want your opinion, no worry.“ She nodded towards the stairs. „Want to go back up? Then you can call Amara.“

As they climbed upstairs again, Jake said „I think it’s better if we visit her in her workshop. Then she can show you her Jaeger.“

„Has she really built one herself?“ Mako could hardly believe it.

Now it was Jake who rolled his eyes. „Says the woman who redesigned a scrappy Gipsy Danger and all the Mark VI Jaegers.“ He raised an eyebrow.

„No, what I mean, she’s so young. I was at least 18 when I did. She’s 15, you say?“

Jake nodded. „You could have done that, too, if they’d only let you.“

„If you say so.“

They entered the living room. Nate jumped up. Jake came to him and held out his hand. After a moment of sizing him up and down, Nate accepted and, to everybody’s astonishment, performed a complicated handshake, including spins and drumming a certain pattern the other’s back.

Aleksis snorted when they were done. „ _Moja Drusja_ , if you ever have to face a real Kaiju attack you have to break this habit. Otherwise the Kaiju will be through half the city before you two have even suited up.“

Jake and Nate looked at each other. „True“ they admitted eventually.

An awkward silence endured that was broken by Jake’s rumbling stomach. „Right, lunch!“ He looked to Mako. „You want to help me?“

She smiled and shook her head. „Ah, no, I’d rather catch up with Sasha and Aleksis.“

Nate raised his hand. „But I’d like to help you.“

„Yeah sure! You can fill me in just as well on what I’ve missed.“


End file.
